Monday, February 28, 2011

This is a wood dart board made circa 1940 but never used. There are no markings to indicate who the maker was. My conjecture -- the board was made as a gift and the recipient did not want to mess it up with dart damage. Usually I go for primitive, quirky game boards but this one appealed to me precisely because it is the opposite of that. The maker was meticulous and highly skilled.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Mr. Imagination is back. Just 37 months after a fire in Bethlehem, Pa., destroyed his home and much of his art, Mr. Imagination, aka Gregory Warmack, is waving his raised hand once again in the art world. Barbara Archer Gallery, a short walk from my house, is exhibiting the work of the resurgent Mr. I until April 9. He moved to a northwest Atlanta neighborhood in 2009 following the January 2008 Bethlehem fire. Mr. I's ascent to self-taught art prominence began in his native Chicago. Now in his 50s, he's settled into Atlanta where he said he hopes to open a museum showcasing new and older work. His modest home is stuffed with his own creations and pieces he has collected, including works by Howard Finster, Brian Dowdall, Artist Chuckie and African trade signs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently published an article on Mr. Imagination's comeback. Work salvaged from the fire has taken on added significance for the artist. Burned pieces displayed at his home he said he plans to keep for the future museum. At the gallery, his sculptures are either "from the ashes" or "post fire." A 4-foot-tall burned staff, priced at $5,200, sold, as did a newer, unburned guitar man, priced at $2,500. The second to last photo shows part of a burned or from the ashes "ladder" sculpture ($20,000). On the night of the Feb. 17 opening, Mr. Imagination sat in a throne he built (pictured at top) and fans sat with him and snapped pictures.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The origin of ten-hut! is attention! Ten-hut! is two bursts instead of three. The origin of this small carved sandstone bust is Tippletown, Pa. The artist was Earnest Cavelett. It's so finely carved you can clearly see the difference between the two buttons on the collar.

The Heart of Country, Music Valley and Tailgate antiques shows all kicked off Thursday in Nashville. They're the best shows for people like me who like old folk art and odd things. And not everything is expensive. I went Friday with my camera.
1. 51-inch tall red cedar carvings by Kenneth Anthony Krogmeier of Fort Madison, Iowa. Van Deest Antiques & Art.
2. A 19th century sign decrying deadbeats.
3. Alaskan brown bear carving. Robert M. Conrad Antiques.
4. A painting depicting an 1850s sewer fire.
5. Weathervane figure.
6. A mid-20th century painting of a baby that fell.
7. Whirligig figure.
8. A carved stone love token and a painted dog sculpture.
9. A bizarre announcement about an upcoming "chicken debate" with debaters in black face.
10. Articulated jester.

Sunday, February 13, 2011

That was the headline I was waiting to see but never did. What's happened to headline writing in this country? The New York Post's headline was "That's a Wrap!" Seems pretty tame until you see the accompanying image -- Mubarak in a mummy wrap. Now that's journalism!

Friday, February 11, 2011

This old carving from the Southeast has a sort of cartoon quality to it. The faces are goofy, the heads are disproportionately small and the outstretched arm is extraordinarily long. Yet, the subject is affection or love. The result is a highly unusual sculpture.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

This totem was carved by Robert P. Richard Jr., scoutmaster in the 1920s for Troop 17 in Schenectady, N.Y. Richard died in 1946 and the totem passed to his son, who recently died at age 96. The family then sold the totem. It's beautifully made with great paint decoration, and an impressive 28 inches tall. The wingspan is 18 inches.